Morocco captain Romain Saïss has been forced to withdraw from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following an injury sustained in the tournament opener against Comoros.
The 35-year-old defender was substituted after just 18 minutes of the match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat on Sunday, December 21, as Morocco cruised to a 2-0 victory. Al-Sadd centre-back Saïss was replaced by Jawad El Yamiq, but scans on Monday confirmed he would be sidelined for the remainder of the competition.
To fill the void, coach Walid Regragui has called up 27-year-old Youssef Belammari of Raja Casablanca. The left-footed defender has earned 15 caps for the Atlas Lions since making his national team debut in 2024 and has featured seven times in the Moroccan league this season.
Belammari now faces the task of stepping into Saïss’ role as Morocco look to continue their campaign on home soil.
